North Country farmers music project comes to Snell Theater in Potsdam March 30

Friday, March 28, 2014 - 8:48 am

POTSDAM -- Inspired by the stories of North Country farmers, a music project commissioned by the Community Performance Series will hit the stage March 30 at 3 p.m. in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music.

"Voices from the Farm: A Tribute to the Farmers of the North Country" composer and pianist Daniel Kelly began his "Voices from the Farm" project several months ago, when the Brooklyn-based jazz artist sat down with North Country farmers and members of the agricultural community to record their personal stories.

"When I began exploring the music of this area, her knowledge of the traditional music and the community itself was invaluable. I am so thrilled that we have had an opportunity to collaborate on telling the story of hard-working North County farmers," Kelly said.

Using their experiences as inspiration, Kelly composed an hour-long musical suite that celebrates the agricultural heritage of Northern New York.

During the concert, recorded interviews with farmers will weave throughout each piece of music, giving context and authenticity to the composition.

Prior to the show, 2013 St. Lawrence County Dairy Princess Brooke Rastley will share locally produced cheese in the Snell Theater lobby.

Renowned fiddler Gretchen Koehler will take part in the performance and "was an integral part of the creation process," according to Kelly.

"This is one of the coolest things I've done in a long time, and Daniel is lovely to work with," said Koehler. "Daniel has taken traditional music and infused a contemporary flair. The performance will be a great mix of traditional fiddling, storytelling and jazz."

Tickets can be purchased through the CPS Box Office, located in the lobby of SUNY Potsdam's new Performing Arts Center, or at Northern Music & Video in downtown Potsdam.

"This has been an extraordinary opportunity for CPS," said Executive Director Amy Flack. "We were chosen as one of six presenters from across New York State to take part in a project like this. Not only were we given the opportunity to present a group of phenomenal artists, but we were also blessed with an opportunity to showcase the true roots of our community. We are very grateful to our friends at Traditional Arts of Upstate New York, North Country Public Radio, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the dedicated farmers who have provided support for this project's development."

CPS is a college-community partnership presenting world-class performing artists and arts education opportunities in Northern New York. This rich mixture of programming links communities, classrooms and audiences of all ages and preserves access to the performing arts for future generations.